Billet surfacing machine



Aug. 15, 1933. 'L Q REIS 1,922,980

BILLET SURFACING MACHINE Filed Jan. 50, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l Imm" Aug.i5, 1933. L. c. REIS 1,922,980

BILLET SURFACING MACHINE Filed Jan. 30, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 PatentedAug. 15, 1933 BILLET SURFACING MACHINE Louis C. Reis, Duluth, Minn.

. Application January 30,

15 Claims.

' This invention relates to machines for use in surfacing andresurfacing steel billets and the like, and is herein illustrated asembodied in a machine of the same general character as that disclosed inUnited States Letters Patent No. 1,669,264, granted May 8, 1923, upon myapplication.

Machines of the type disclosed in the said Letters Patent comprise,generally speaking, a cutter head having a central opening through whichcylindrical billets are passed in order to free the billets of surfaceimperfections. Th'ere is provided mechanism for feeding billets one at atime to the surfacing machine, and apparatus for grasping a', billetwhich has been presented and advancing it in the direction of thecutter. The

apparatus continues to advance the billet until a substantial portionthereof passes through the cutter whereupon the said apparatusdisengages itself automatically and returns to its starting positionpreparatory to lgrasping and advancing a succeeding billet, and at thesame time additional apparatus on the opposite side of the cutter graspsthe surfaced end of the billet and exerts a pulling action thereon toadvance the unsurfaced portion of the billet on through the cutter.Mechanism for use in conducting the surfaced billets away from themachine is also provided.

In a great number of instances, the billets which are presented to thesurfacing `machine are not absolutely straight as they come from therolls and it would be'a matter of considerable, in fact tooconsiderable, expense to straighten them.

On the other hand, it is not necessary to true these billets for the useto which they are subsequently put does not demand that they be ofstraight cylindrical formation, but merely that the surfaces be freefrom imperfections and somewhat regular in outline.

Accordingly, in my former invention it was proposed to provide a machinewhich would surface a billet a uniform amount over all regardless of thefact that such billets might be warped or otherwise irregular information. To this end there was provided a rotary cutter of the central.opening type, feeding apparatus which would grasp and advance thebillet partially through l the cutter, and additional feeding apparatuswhich would later grasp a surfaced portion of the billet and pull it onthrough the cutter, and meanwhile the axis of the billet was permittedto oscillate and thus follow a path of feeding movement which wascharacteristic of its shape. Thus, if a billet were warped, the paththrough which it would move in advancing through the cutter would be acorrespondingly curved path, whereby the xbillet would be surfacedsubstantially uniformly throughout its entire length regardless ofirregularities in contour.

1929. Serial No. 336,185

Although the construction disclosed in my prior patent permitsconsiderable flexibility of movement on the part of the billet as itadvances through the cutter, it is-an important object of the presentinvention to provide apparatus for use in feeding and guiding a billetthrough a surfacing machine which will permit greater flexibility ofmovement on the part of the billet than has heretofore been obtained.

' It has been found that after the billet is fed part way through themachine and is grasped by the feeding apparatus which conducts it theremaining distance, there is a tendency on the part of the finishedextremity to wiggle, or jerk about laterally, and inasmuch as thisextremity is grasped by a clamping device with which the feedingapparatus is provided, a highly exibleconnection must be provided inorder that the clamping device will continue firmly to grasp the billetnotwithstanding the rapidity of lateral, or wiggling, movement on thepart of the grasped portion. In view of this fact, an important featureof the invention consists in the provision of a clamping device whichwill grasp the free end of the billet and hold it rmly and also willallow the extremity of the billet to move bodily laterally, back andforth, as it is being held. In the illustrated embodiment of theinvention, the clamping device comprises a clamping head, and meanscarried by the head for supporting a plurality of clamping jaws. Thesupporting means is susceptible of being displaced laterally in theevent that Wiggling movement is imparted to the billet, and also isprovided with yieldable means normally operative to hold the supportagainst lateral displacement.

It is to be noted atv this point that the tendency 'on the part of thebillet to wiggle may be the result of feeding to the cutter a billet ofirregular lengthwise contour, it may be the result of friction generatedby the cutting operation imparting vibration to the billet, or it may befrom other causes. In any event it exists; and the present invention isconcerned not with the cause of such motion, but with the provision of aclamping device which will operate firmly to hold the billet and allowit to wiggle during the surfacing operation.

Another feature of the invention consists in the provision of improvedclamping jaws for engaging directly with the surface of the billet forholding the latter as it is being fed.

Still additional objects relate to clamping jaw operating mechanism aswill become apparent from a reading of the following specification inthe light of the accompanying drawings, in! whichy Figure 1 is a view inside elevation in section showing the entering side of a surfacingmachine of the same general type as that disclosed in my former patent;A

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing the discharge side of thesurfacing machine;

Figure 3 is a detailed view showing the manner in which certain parts ofthe work holding and feeding apparatus are constructed; and

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail view showing the manner in which certainwork engaging members are mounted. v

In view of the fact that the machine disclosed hereinis in many respectsidentical to the machine disclosed in my former patent there will begiven herewith only a brief description of the construction of themachine, it being understood that the invention disclosed herein doesnot reside in the general arrangement of the machine parts and thatreference may be had to the former patent for details of design andconstruction not specifically shown or described herein.

.As shown in Figure 1 there is provided a sloping skid-way 10 across theupper surface of which a plurality of cylindrical billets 12 are adaptedto be fed. A stop 14 controls the passage cf billets from the skid tothe surfacing machine, and a supplemental stop lwhich works alternatelywith the main stop 14 to control the passage of billets to the mainstop. By reason of the combined stops only one billet is fed to themachine at a time.

The surfacing machine comprises a pedestal or base 18 having anupwardlyextending arm 20 which carries a vertically movable clampinghead or lever 22. A lower clamping base 24 is mounted on the pedestal 18directly beneath the' clamping head 22 and is adapted to cooperatetherewith in supporting the billet 12 as it is advanced' lengthwisethrough a cutter 1'7 with which the machine is provided.

To the end of bringing the clamping lever or head 22 and base 24 intooperative engagement with the billet 12, the head is mounted for pivotalmovement about an axis 26, and a wedge block 28 is provided for engaginga roll 30 carried by the clamping head to depress the latter accordingto the admission of a suitable uid to a cylinder 32 located above thetemplet 28 and enclosing an operating piston 34. To the end of restoringthe clamping head 22 to its original position upon relieving thepressure in the cylinder 32 there is provided a counter-weight 36. l

It is to be observed at this point that the clamping base 24 is capableof being adjusted vertically to accommodate billets of variousdiameters, in order to present them properly to the central opening inthe cutter regardless of their height, and to this end the base 24 isprovided with a sloping lower surface beneath which there 'is inserted awedge-shaped adjusting block 40 controlled by a piston 42 moving withina cylinder 44. As indicated by the dotted line Ithe clamping base 24 andthe adjusting block 40 are joined together by means of a dovetail jointwhich permits raising and lowering of the base, but prevents itsaccidental displacement from the recess in which the two parts arenormally located.

The portionI of the machine that has been described may be called theentering side/by reason of the fact that it picks up the billet whenthat member is first fed to the machine and advances it in the directionof the cutter. From so much ofthe description as has already been given,it will be appreciated that in operation the billet is deposited on'theclamping base 24 which has beenpreviously adjusted by means of the block40 tov accommodate a billet of the particular height of that delivered,and thereafter pressure 4is admitted to the cylinder 32 to force theclamping head 22 downwardly into rm engagement with the top of thebillet. To the end of advancing the billet in the direction of thecutter the upwardly extending arm 20 is slidable ,along the shaft 26,and, by means of the wheels 46 running over tracks 48, the base of themachine is likewise movable in the direction of the lengthwise axis ofthe billet 12. In order to impart such movement to the clamping blocksor levers 22 and 24 there is provided a rotary screw 50 having threadedengagement with a downwardly depending portion 52 carried by theslidable base. Thus, as the screw turns the base moves toward or awayfrom the cutter depending upon the direction of rotation of the screw.

The actual means for engaging and holding the Work as it is fed in thedirection of the cutter comprises an upper serrated member 25,adjustable with respect to the clamping head 22, and a plurality ofyieldingly mounted members 27 and 29 converging in the direction of thecentral axis of the engaged billet. As shown in Figure 4, each of themembers 27.and 29 comprises a body portion 31 having a cylindraceouslower face 33, and a shank member 35 disposed within a suitable recessformed in the lower clamping block 24. A compression spring 37 encirclesthe shank 35 and tends normally to retain the clamping member rmlyseated in engagementwith the lower clamping block 24.

In operation, a billet supported and clamped by the members 25, 27 and29 may be tilted vertically by causing the body portions to pivot aboutupon their cylindraceous lower surfaces, and may by means of theadjustable mountings of the said members be moved in other directions asthe billet passes through the cutter following a course corresponding toits surface contour.

Thus, as the end of the billet emerges on the discharge side of thecutter it may be pointed downwardly, upwardly, to the right, or the theleft, and if the work engaging clamp on the discharge side were fixedfor movement in a straight line, it might be that the billet would beinsecurely grasped by the clamp, or that if firmly grasped the billetwould be cramped in itssubsequent passage through the cutter with theresult that waste cutting would takeplace. To the end of overcoming suchobjections the work clamp on the discharge side, as disclosed herein, isconstructedand arranged for lateral displacement in a manner presentlyto be described.

Turning now to Figure 2, the discharge side of the machine is providedwith a pedestal 60 and an upwardly extending arm 54 which carries aclamping head 56 also referred to as a lever, mounted for pivotal andslidable movement with respect to the shaft 58. The base member 60 isprovided with a downwardly depending portion 62 having screw threadedengagement with a rotary shaft 64 whereby rotation of the shaft causesmovement to be imparted to the base 60, and the upwardly extending arm54, toward or away from the cutter depending upon the direction ofrotation of the shaft.

On this side of the machine also rollers 66 are provided for supportingthe feeding .apparatus during movement thereof, and likewise a cylinder68 is equipped with a piston '70 for actuatng'a of adjustment.

cam 72 having engagement with a roller 74 carried by the cutter head 56.Thus, in operation, a suitable fluid may be admitted to the cylinder 68to cause downward movement of the piston 70 whereby the clamping head 56is swung downwardly about its axis of pivot 58 to engage the billet 12.

On the discharge side of the machine, the clamping base comprises awedge-shaped block 76 that is mounted upon a base plate 78. The top ofthe wedge-shaped block is provided with serrations, as are all of thework engaging members, and movement of the wedge-shaped block 76 iscontrolled by means of a cylinder and piston arrangement 80. By means ofsuch a provision, the block 76 may be adjusted to raise or lower theserrated upper surface of the block in order to accommodate billets ofdifferent diameters and in this respect the clamping base on thedischarge side of the machine is similar to the clamping base on thecharging or entering side of the machine.

The clamping head comprises a bolster 82 also referred to as a plate ofcircular form or as an adapter that is pivoted to the head about an axis84, and a yoke member 86 that is pivoted to the shaft 58 and is arrangedto straddle the pivoted bolster 82. The yoke 86 has secured to its upperextremity a connector leading to a counterweight 88 which tends normallyto maintain the pivoted bolster 82 in a predetermined position Theopening in the yoke 86, into which the bolster 82 fits, is of greaterwidth than the bolster and of approximately the same depth. Thus, thebolster is free to pivot about the axis 84 between either of two extremepositions which are defined by engagement of the bolster wth the innerside walls of the legs of the yoke. Normally the bolster is maintainedin a position approximately centrally of its two extreme positions andto this end the opposite lower corners of the clamping head are boredout as indicated by the reference numerals 90 and 92 to provide recessesfor the reception of compression springs 94 and 96. These springs bearagainst the opposite sides of the bolster 82 and beingv of equalstrength they tend normally to maintain the bolster in its ycentralposition.

The bolster proper comprises a body portion, which for the sake ofconvenience may be designated by the same reference character 82 asdesignates the bolster itself, and a plurality of clamping jaws 98 and100 that are carried by the body portion in the manner shown in Figure4.

In the operation of the feeding means on the discharge side of themachine, the base clamping member 76 is first adjusted to accommodatebillets of the particular size being surfaced and then, as billets passthrough the cutter, the piston 70 is lowered to swing the clamping head56 downwardly and move the clamping jaws of the bolster into rmengagement with the billet 12. Owing to the cylindraceous lower surfacesof the clamping jaws 98 and 100 and the narrowness of the clamping base76, the billet 12 may be oscillated about the point of grippingengagement, and the serrated portions on the gripping members hold thebillet against rotation. To the end of facilitating the oscillation of,the billet 12 the work engaging surface formed on the upper section 76of the clamping base may be curved widthwise to avoid straight linecontact between the serrations and the billet.

Furthermore, owing to the fact that the bolster 82 can be displacedrelatively to the clamping head 56 a certain' amount of free bodilymovement of the billet 12 relatively to the other parts of the surfacingmachine is permitted. Thus, if there is a tendency on the part of thegripped end of the billet to wiggle it is free to do so, and during suchmovement the bolster 82 will merely rock back and forth. The provisionof the resilient mounting for the clamping jaws 27 and 29, and 98 and100, permit a certain amount of give on the part of the jaws in theevent that the cutters bite sufliciently deep into the billet to exert astrong force tending to rotate the billet against the action of thegripping means.

. It is to be appreciated and understood that numerous parts of thismachine may be substituted one for the other, or interchanged with oneanother, as desired. For example, on the entering side of the machine,the gripping member 25, carried by the clamping head, could be placedbeneath the billet 12 instead of being retained above it. On thedischarge side a similar change could be effected, and carrying thisidea further the griping mechanism on both the discharge and enteringsides of the machine could, if desired, be identical. Thus, bothgripping mechanisms could be made to'correspond to thatv illustratedherein on the discharge side of the machine or to that illustratedherein on the entering side of the machine. Other changes are equallyobvious to persons possessed of the proper mechanical skill and it is tobe appreciated that such changes as the foregoing, or one, for example,which would consist in placing the springs of the clamped jaws in such amanner that the jaws would normally be positioned outwardly from theclamping head or base and would be provided with a resilient backingwhereby upon sufficient pressure being applied they would retract in thedirection of the head or base, do not constitute departures from thescope of the vinvention as set forth herein and are Yintended as thefull equivalent of the structure disclosed and claimed herein.

Although the invention has been illustrated with particular reference tosurfacing machines it is to be appreciated that in many respects theinvention is obviously capable of a wider application.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by United States patent is:

1. A work holding clamp for use in billet surfacing machines and thelike, having, in'combination, a clamping head, a pivoted bolster carriedby the clamping head and arranged for displacement relatively thereto,said bolster comprising a body portion and a work engaging membercarried by the body portion and arranged for displacement relativelythereto.

2. A work holding clamp for use in billet surfacing machines andthelike, having, in combination, a clamping head, a bolster carried bythe head and movable between either of two extreme positions, saidbolster being constructed and arranged to apply clamping pressure to abillet being surfaced, and means tending normally to maintain thebolster in a position located approximately centrally of its two extremepositions.

3. A work holding clamp for use in billet surfacing machines and thelike, having, in combination, a clamping head, a bolster pivoted to theto a billet being surfaced, together with resilient means tendingnormally to maintain the bolster in a position located approximatelycentrally of its two extreme positions.

4. A work holding clamp for use in billet surfacing machines and thelike, having, in combination, a clamping head, and a bolster pivoted tothe head and arranged for displacement relatively thereto, said bolstercomprising a body portion and a plurality of yieldingly mounted clampingjaws adapted to apply clamping pressure to a billet during theresurfacing operation.

5. A work holding clamp for use in billet surfacing machines and thelike, having, in combination, a clamping head, a bolster mounted forpivotal movement thereon, said bolster comprising a body portion and aplurality of clamping jaws for applying clamping pressure to a billet,and a clamping base positioned below the clamping head and arranged foradjustment relatively to the head, said base being adapted to cooperatewith the jaws in applying clamping pressureto', the billet.

6. A work holding clamp for use in billet surfacing machinesand thelike, having, in combination, a clamping head, billet engaging meanscarried by the clamping'head, and a clamping base adapted to cooperatewith the head in firmly gripping a billet being surfaced, said clampingbase comprising an upper section provided with a billet engaging surfaceand a lower section, one of said sections being of wedge-shapedformation, and one of said sections being movable relatively to theother whereby movement imparted to said section causes raising andlowering of the billet engaging surface. l

7. In a work grip for a billet peeling machine, the combination with anadapter detachably mounted and provided with a jaw for engaging thebillet to be operated upon, of a pivoted lever, an adapter on the leverprovided with another jaw which is removable and replaceable forengaging the other side of the billet, means always active for normallydrawing the lever away from the rst named adapter so as to allow abillet to be placed between the jaws, and means for forcing the leverback against the resistance of the first named means and pushing the jawthereon into contact with the billet.

8. In a work grip for a billet peeling machine,

the combination with an adapter detachably mounted and provided with ajaw for engaging the billet to be operated upon, of a lever pivoted onanaxis and having an adapter provided with another jaw which is removableand replaceable forengaging the other side of the billet, means alwaysactive for normally drawing the lever away from the first named adapterso as to allow a billet to be placed between the jaws, and a piston andcylinder having a wedge movable along a surface of the machine forforcing the lever back against the first named means and pushing the jawthereon into contact with the billet in contact with the lower jaw. 9.In a work grip for a billet peeling machine or the like, the combinationwith a stationary jaw and a movable jaw, of a lever on which the movablejaw is mounted, means for drawing the lever back away from the Work, aroll carried by the lever, and a reciprocable wedge arranged in contactwith the roll, whereby the movement of the wedge in one direction willtransmit pressure from the wedge to the roll and force the movable jawinto contact with the work.

10. In a work grip for a billet peeling machine the billet in contactwith the or the like, the combination with a stationary but adjustablejaw and a movable jaw, of a lever on which the movable jaw is mounted, afreely oscillatable plate on which the movable jaw is mounted, means fordrawing the movable jaw back away from the work, a roll carried by thelever, a piston and a cylinder, the piston having a wedge shaped end,the frame having ways for supporting and guiding the wedge, said-wedgebeing arranged in contact with the roll, whereby the movement of thepiston in one direction will transmit pressure from the wedge to theroll and to the movable jaw and force the same into contact with thework.

1l. In a work grip for a billet peeling machine or the like, thecombination with a jaw and a movable jaw, of a lever, a freelyoscillatable plate on the lever on which the movable jaw is mounted,means for constantly urging the movable jaw back away from the work, andpower operated means for forcing the lever toward the work in oppositionthereto, said plate being self centermg..

l2. In a work grip, the combination with a lower jaw, having a fiatroughl gripping surface, means for adjusting the elevationl of the lowerjaw to accommodate theV position of the work, a lever above the lowerjaw, a power oper- 1 ated wedge for moving the levendown positively,

a plate carried by said lever of a circular form mounted to turn freelyon its axis, and a pair of jaws Yindividually mo able but mounted onsaid plate, whereby when he plate is brought ldown on the work supportedby the lower jaw, the plate is free to swing on its axis to equalize thepressure of the two jaws against the work and clamp the work againstsaid lower jaw even if the work is out of concentric position.

13. In a w'ork grip, the combination with a jaw, having a iat roughgripping surface, means for adjusting the elevation of the jaw to accom-Vmodate the position of the work, a lever, a power operated wedge formoving the lever positively, and a pair of jaws individually movablycarried by said lever, whereby when the lever is brought down toward thework supported by the jaw, the two jaws are free to swing to equalizethe pressure of the two jaws against the work and clamp the work againstsaid jaw even if the work is out of concentric position.

14. In a work grip for a billet peeling machine, the combination with ajaw for engaging the billet to be operated upon, of a clamping headprovided with another jaw and movable toward and away from the rst-namedjaw and for engaging the other side of the billet, means always activefor normally drawing Ithe clamping head away from the first-named jaw soas to allow a billet to be placed between the jaws, and means forforcing the clamping head back against the resistance of the rst-namedmeans and pushing the jaw thereon into contact with the billet.

15. In a work grip for a billet peeling machine the combination with ajaw for engaging the billet to be operated upon, of a clamping headpivoted on an axis and having another jaw, means always active fornormally drawing the clamping head away from the first named jaw so asto allow a billet to be placed between the jaws, and a .piston andcylinder having aM wedge movable along a surface of the machine forforcing the clamping head against the first-named means and pushing thejaw thereon into contact with lower jaw.

LOUIS C. REIS.

